History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 180

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438

USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 180
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 180
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 180

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liquor tank until it is reduced to four degrees on the liquor tester, after which it is run into the weak liquor tank until it tests nothing. After it is thus reduced the liquor is drawn off and the pulp is run into the stuff-box, from whenee it is pumped in the wet-machine and run through brass-serews and over rollers into sheets about one-eighth of an inch thick. This renders it convenient to handle. It is now re- dueed to pulp again by the beater, and passes through the Jordan engine, during which pro- cess it is colored as desired. It now goes through the bleacher or washing process in another tank, into which it had been pumped. From here it is pumped into the Fourdrinier machine (so named for the inventor) in the form of a liquor, onto brass screens. This machine is twenty-five or thirty feet long, and consists of ten heated cylin- ders about three feet in diameter, and twenty-one smaller cylinders about five inches in diameter. It passes through this machine in one continuous sheet about five feet wide, and into the calender which consists of nine bright, steel eylinders, one on top of the other. If the paper passes throngh two of the calenders it is said to be double calendered. From these calenders it passes on to slat rollers, and thence through the cutter, whence it is counted into quires and reams and packed for shipping.

THOMAS BRODHEAD, a prominent resident of the Delaware Water Gap, was born at Slate ford, near that place, January 26, 1816. He is a lincal deseendant, in the fifth generation, of Captain Daniel Brodhead, the ancestor of that family in America, who came to this coun- try in 1664 with the expedition under Colonel Nicolls, which captured New Netherland from the Dutch and who, on September 14, 1665, was commissioned "chief officer of the militia in the Esopus," in Ulster County, N. Y., where he died July 14, 1667. The intervening an- cestry of the Brodhead family will be found fully presented elsewhere in this volume. The immediate parents of our subject were Luke and Elizabeth (Wills) Brodhead, the former of whom died in Smithfield, March 21, 1815. He was a man of many excellencies of character, identi- fied with the slate, hotel and farming interests of

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Smithfield, and an active, influential and useful citizen in his day and generation.

During the earlier years of his life Thomas Brodhead assisted his father in his various business enterprises, and acquired an ordinary common-school education. On November 10, 1846, he married Hannah M., daughter of George V. and Maria Bush, of Shawnee, the latter of whom is still living in her nine- tieth year, and soon after commenced farm-

dred and seventy acres, near the Gap, and after disposing of the timber, devoted them to agri- cultural uses, and cleared off fifteen other tracts.

For many years he has carried on an exten- sive livery business at the gap, and is now op- erating a saw-mill at the same point. He has erected and owned several of the handsome cot- tages in the village and has done much in devel- oping the business interests of the place, and in adding to its material prosperity. He is a close

Thos Brodhead

ing in Smithfield, where Samuel Gulick now lives. After nine years of agricultural life at that point he removed to the Delaware Water Gap and purchased a hotel property at that place, which he replaced in 1856 with the Brainerd House. Here he entertained the pub- lic for many years, chicfly the overflow of board- ers from his brother's house, the Kittatinny, and during the same period continued to engage in farming and lumbering. He partially cleared off two wood tracts comprising about one hun-

adherent to Democratic principles in politics, but has never been an aspirant for public office. He is a liberal contributor to the church and other worthy institutions of his locality, and is held in general respect and esteem. His children are Eugene, residing at Delaware Water Gap ; Mary Alice, wife of George W. Supplee, of Philadelphia ; Lizzic, wife of John D. Brod- head, of the Kittatinny House; Horatio and George B., also living at the Gap ; and Bertha and Thomas C., living at home.

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MONROE COUNTY.

CHAPTER IX.

MIDDLE SMITHFIELD TOWNSHIP.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION .- This township is bounded on the north by Price township and Pike County, east by Pike County and the Del- aware River, south and southwest by the Dela- ware and Smithfield township, and west by Price township. It is separated by the above river from the State of New Jersey. The sur- facc of the township is generally hilly and brok- en. The soil in its southern portion is a rich loam, with comparatively little stone and very productive. Just north, in the vicinity of the Coolbaugh settlement, is a limestone ridge, and in its neighboring locality a slate deposit, though not sufficiently rich to be worked. A strata of red shale, extending from Pike County, also crops out in this vicinity. The soil in the north- ern portion is stony, and not adapted to cultiva- tion. It is a fine timber-land, and has thus been made available to settlers. Beech, chestnut, maple and oak, with some hemlock and pine, grow here, the most luxuriant growth being that of the oak, which has been much in de- mand for tauning purposes. In early years the timber was cut and rafted down the Delaware, but modern railroad enterprise has superseded this primitive method of transportation. There was formerly considerable low-lands, which, by draining and reclaiming, has been made very productive. The staple grains and grass grow in abundance, as also the principal fruits found elsewhere in the State.

In 1844 more than ten thousand acres of un- seated lands were offered for sale by the treas- urer of the county to pay arrears of taxes and cost of sale. The populous portion of the town- ship is chiefly confined to the southern section. Although extended in its area, Middle Smith- field contained, in 1830, a population of but one thousand, which was increased in 1840 to cleven hundred and forty-four. The real and personal property in 1844 amounted to $163,159. Its present population is thirteen hundred and thir- ty-ninc.

WATER-COURSES .- The township abounds in streams, of greater or less importance. The

Big Bushkill rises in the vicinity of High Knob, in Pike County, flows southeasterly through a portion of Greene township, in Pike County, into Barrett township, where it forms a junction with the east branch of the Bushkill, and continues its course southeast through Bar- rett, Price and Porter townships (the latter in Pike County) into Middle Smithfield. It con- tinues a southeasterly course through this town- ship, and pours its waters into the Delaware at Bushkill.

Marshall Creek, named after the noted pe- destrian of the Indian Walk, Edward Mar- shall, rises in the northwest part of the town- ship, flows southerly, and running through Smithfield, empties into Brodhead Creek. Pond Creek, which is an outlet of Coolbaugh Pond, flows westerly in a parallel line with the stage road and forms a junction with Marshall Creek, at Marshall Creek Post-Office. Willow Creek rises north of Echo Lake and, flowing easterly, joins the Big Bushkill at Shoemaker Post-Office. Long Shore Creek rises in the east- ern part of the township and flows southwest into Pond Creek, on land of Adam Overfield. Shawnee Creek rises on the northerly side of Flat Brook Ridge and, flowing south to the vil- lage of Shawnee, empties into the Delaware. Seeley Lake, more recently christened Echo Lake, is located within two miles of the eastern boundary of the township, and about one-fourth of a mile north of the stage road. It covers an area of twenty acres, is at the centre at least forty feet in depth, and is fed by imperceptible springs along the eastern bottoni. Its waters are remarkably clear.

Coolbaugh Lake, originally Jayne Lake, lies about two hundred rods west of Echo Lake, and is fed by springs along its banks. Both these lakes abound in pickerel, perch and bass, promoted by the enterprise of the Coolbaugh family, who brought them at some cost from streams and lakes in New Jersey.

Middle Smithfield and the adjoining region was the scene of many depredations committed by the Indians, from 1755 to 1764, which are treated of in Chapter IV. of this work.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS .- It is not possible to determine with certainty who was the first set-

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tler in Middle Smithfield, though among the earliest were William and Isaac Jayne, two brothers, who made the township their residenee after having taken up several large traets. Wil- liam Jayne had two sons, Daniel and Peter, and one daughter, Mrs. George La Bar. The sons both settled in the township, Peter having mar- ried Mary Bush and had children,-Isaae, Ann, Maria, Lorinda, Henry, Daniel, Milton, Susan and Caroline. All of these are either deceased or have removed from the township. Daniel Jayne had one son Julius and two daughters, one of whom, Mrs. Daniel Bush, resides at Marshall Creek.

John Dewitt eame from Esopus to the town- ship and purchased five hundred aeres of un- cleared land formerly owned by a man named Humphrey. He was by trade a blacksmith, and opened a shop on the land, burning his eoal for the purpose near by. He had four sons-John, Levi, Jacob and Cornelius-and daughters Sarah and Elsie, the last-named son having died in early manhood. Jacob remain- ed in the township and settled on his patri- mony, the property being now owned by his grandson, Henry Dewitt. John Dewitt mar- ried Betsey Johnson, whose children were John, Samuel, Jacob, Joshua, Maria, Elsie and Cath- crine. John settled on the homestead and mar- ried Sarah Miller, whose two sons, Samuel and Henry, are resident farmers in Middle Smith- field.

Henry Shoemaker owned the property now occupied by Frank H. Smith. He sold to George Michaels and removed to Warren Coun- ty, N. J. The Coolbaugh family were among the earliest settlers of the township. They were of German origin and the name is said to be identical with Coolbrook. The original an- cestor in the country was William Coolbaugh, a sea-eaptain, who married Sarah Johnson, and first located in Hunterdon County, New Jer- sey. Subsequently he removed to Monroe County, Pa., following the tide of emigration which worked its way through Bucks and Northampton Counties to the valley of the Minisink, where it was met by and merged with the tide of settlement which had left the old pioneer location of Esopus, in Ulster Coun-

ty, New York, and passing through the Mama- kating Valley, established itself in the perilous and wild region of the Minisink. William Coolbaugh had ten children, namely : Moses, born in Monroe County, Pa., died and was buried at Wysox, Bradford County, Pa., February 22, 1814, aged sixty-two years. Cornelius, who married Sarah Everett, of New Hope, Bueks County, Pa., and is buried at Smithfield. John, born September 14, 1760, died September 25, 1842, aged eighty-two years. Married by Rev. Elias Van Bensehoten, September 14, 1788, to Susannah, daughter of John Van Campen. She was born at Shawnee, October 23, 1758, died Jannary 31, 1829, aged seventy years. Her father, John, was a son of Col. Abraham Van Campen, of Pahaquarry, N. J., whose his- tory is given in the " History of Warren and Sussex Counties, N. J." John Van Campen married Sarah De Pui, and here was a mixture of the Holland and Huguenot blood. They had three children besides Susannah, viz. : Abraham, born September 8, 1769, died No- vember 28, 1806, aged thirty-seven years; Mary, wife of George Bush ; and Blandina, wife of Henry Shoemaker, of Pahaquarry. William, born at Smithfield, Bueks County, settled at Wysox, Pa., died in Yates County, N. Y., his wife being Susannah Shoemaker. Peter settled at Wysox, thenee moved to Luzerne County, Pa., and died there. Hannah, who married a Mr. Tanner, had two children, Mark and Jane. Mark lived in Bueks County and died about 1879. Jane died a short time before. Mr. Tanner died and Hannah married Silas Barton and had four children,-Britta, George and Benjamin (twins), and William. Britta died in Monmouth Co., N. J., in 1873. George lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and was killed on a steamboat. Benjamin lived in Philadelphia and died 1874. Hannah died and was buried at New Britain, Bueks County, Pa., 1804. Benjamin, born at Smithfield, settled at Wysox, died and was buried there February 13, 1815, aged forty-eight years, his wife being Jerusha Runyan. Sarah married Aaron Mor- ris and lived in Philadelphia ; had four ehil- dren,-John, Eliza, Ann and Hiram. She died in 1847, and was buried in Monument Cemetery,

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Philadelphia. Rachel married Christopher Cowell of Wysox, and lived and died therc. And Nancy who married a Barton, of Mon- mouth County, N. J.

John Coolbaugh was the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. He performed active service in the Revolutionary War, and was present at the battle of Monmonth, New Jer- sey. After his marriage to Susannah Van Campen he purchased a tract of land lying principally in what is now Middle Smithfield township, Monroe County. His first residence was a log house, which stood where George Bush's barn afterwards stood.

In 1792 or 1793 he built the house now oc- cupied by his grandson, Moses Frank Cool- baugh, which is the old homestead property of the Coolbaugh family. He was one of the most prominent and influential of the early settlers, and at an early period was an associate judge of Wayne County, which then included Pike and a portion of Monroe Counties. In going to and returning from court, at the old connty-seat of Bethany, he rode on horseback, and frequently rode for fifty miles without see- ing a house. His landed property stretched for several miles along the old stage-road, and at his death, in 1842, he left his children good farms around him, and passed away as the patriarchs of old, surrounded by a large family and in the possession of a large estate, which he had accumulated throughout a long, active and busy life. He formerly owned the land upon which the present village of Bushkill now stands. He was a man of good judgment and superior executive ability, kind and con- siderate to his neighbors, whom he often assisted in their troubles ; of pions habits and inclina- tions, and closely identified with the material development of his section. He and his sons were the virtual founders of the Presbyterian Church of Middle Smithfield, and the early meetings were held at his house. His door was always open to the stranger, and his hospitable home became a sort of public-honse, at which all worthy people might stop without money and without price. His children were Abraham V., Sarah, Hannah, John V., Susan and Moses W. Coolbaugli. Of these, Abraham V., born

February 16, 1793, married, January 2, 1816, Margaret (born December 5, 1796), daughter of Andrew W. Dingman (who is still living, the last of her generation), operated a grist-mill, engaged in farming and had one daughter, Su- sannah Van Campen, who became the wife, January 25, 1844, of Rev. Andrew Tully, a Presbyterian clergyman ; Sarah, married Wil- liam Overfield, of Middle Smithfield, and left a large number of descendants ; Hannalı, mar- ried Solomon Westbrook, and had six children, (including John C., prothonotary of Pike Coun- ty; Margaret, who married John B. Stoll, of Sussex County, N. J .; Hiram ; Lafayette, sev- eral times a member of the State Legislature ; Moses C., of Blooming Grove; and Susan, who married William H. Bell, of Sussex County, N. J.); John V. is the father of our subject ; Susan became the wife of William Brodhead, of Pike County, and had Franklin, Sarah (who married Peter De Witt, of Somerville, N. J.) John (a civil engineer in Kentucky) and Mary (who died in Milford); and Moses W., married Mary, daughter of John Nyce, of Pike County, and had a large family, of whom William Fin- ley subsequently became a leading banker in Chicago.

John V. Coolbangh, the father of Abram V., was born, in 1796, on the old homestead. Hein- herited many of the characteristics of his father; was one of the first and for many years an elder in the Presbyterian Church at Middle Smithfield, and one of the successful and pros- perous farmers of his township. He erected a homestead property of his own, where his son, Andrew J. Coolbangh, now lives, near the old family mansion, and his house was always open to his friends and acquaintances. He avoided public office and devoted his chief energies to the promotion of the welfare of the church and congregation of which he was a member. He died in July, 1874. He married Mary, only daughter of Andrew Eylenberger, of Middle Smithfield township, and had children-Eliza- beth, wife of Charles R. Peters, of Bushkill ; Andrew J., who occupies the home farm, now known as " Willow Grove;" Abram V .; Sarah, who married Darwin E. Martin, of Bradford County ; Susan, who became the wife of Daniel

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Peters, of Middletown, Pa .; Van Campen, who resides at Middletown ; Cornelia B., resid- ing on the home farm with her brother; Mar- garet D., wife of Luke W. Brodhead, proprie- tor of the Delaware Water Gap House ; Moses, residing at Pittston, Pa .; Emma, wife of Rev. Charles E. Van Allen, pastor of the Presby- terian Church of Middle Smithfield ; and James C., who died in August, 1885.

Abram V. Coolbaugh was born on the orig-

self upon a farm of his father's, ncar the Pres- bytcrian Church, and now occupied by Rev. Mr. Van Allen. There he resided for eighteen years, engaged in farming, lumbering and sur- veying, which latter vocation he has steadily followed since 1846. Since that period he has surveyed extensively in Pikc, Monroe, Wayne and Bucks Countics, in Pennsylvania, and Warren County, New Jersey, and at one time owned over four thousand acres in Monroe and

= d. Vlevobangles

inal family homestead October 8, 1822. He ( Pike Counties. His present landed possessions passed his boyhood on his father's farm, attend- cover some three thousand acres. He owns and operates a saw-mill on the Big Bushkill, in Pike County, and farms in Porter township, that county, and Middle Smithfield, Price and Barrett townships, Monroe County. In April, 1876, he moved to Stroudsburg, where he has since resided. He has erected a great many saw-mills, school-houses and private residences, ing the neighborhood schools in the primitive log school-houses of the day, and subsequently engaged in teaching for a few years himself. After reaching manhood he remained with his father until 1856, and in December of that year married Jane W. Freese, step-daughter of John H. Wallace, of Milford, and established him-

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and done much toward the material develop- ment of the county. He has never aspired to public office, but has always been a regular at- tendant of the Presbyterian Church, and a liberal supporter of that and other worthy in- stitutions. He is a man of character and has never used tobacco or liquor in his life, nor taken a dosc of medicine. He has enjoyed the delights of hunting since boyhood, and has brought down many a fat buck or doe with his unerring aim. In this connection it may be mentioned that he has become a successful tax- idermist, having acquired the art for the pur- pose of preserving some of the choice specimens he has secured. His children are three in num- ber, namely : Lizzie, residing at home ; William C., professor in the commercial department of Pennington Seminary, New Jersey ; and Annie Coolbaugh, at present attending Claverack Col- lege, Columbia County, New York. A son, Jolın C., was instantly killed, August 8, 1883, by a gun-shot while out hunting with a com- panion in Ohio, and is buried in the family plot in Stroudsburg Cemetery.

John Turn emigrated to this country with his parents, and about 1790 was bound out to George Bush, of Shawnee, to learn the trade of a carpenter and cabinet-maker, and was thic first undertaker in the township. At a late date he purchased eighty acres of land in the township, to which he added from time to time until he possessed one hundred and seventy acres, now the property of his son John. He was a hard-working, industrious man, of a peculiarly reticent and taciturn nature, indifferent to the holding of public office, but ever ready to defend himself against insult and oppression. He was one of the first two clders of the Middle Smithfield Presbyterian Church, of which he was one of the founders, and with which he was closely identified until his death. He married Julia Ann, daughter of Henry Shoemaker, of Warren County, N. J., and had children,-Elizabeth, who became the wife of Samuel Miller, of Wy- oming County, Pa. ; Henry S. (deceased) ; Joli, living on the home farm ; Samuel S., of Naples, N. Y. ; and Blandina, who married Emanuel Miller, of Smithfield, and is dead.

JOHN TURN, the younger, was born on the farm where he now resides; in Middle Smithfield township, July 23, 1821. He was reared upon his father's homestead farm in Middle Smith- field, and enjoyed the benefits of only a common- school education. From the age of twenty to that of twenty-three he assisted in running a raft on the Delaware River to Philadelphia, and then rented the home farm for ten years and entered upon the life of a farmer. He subsequently became the owner of the farm, and has continued to reside thereon since 1844. He has confined himself strictly to legitimate farming, avoiding speculative enterprises of all kinds, and what he has acquired of this world's goods has been from the production and sale of the fruits of the soil. He has added by pur- chase to the original tract, and now owns about two hundred and twenty-eight acres of good land. His residence was built by his father in 1832, and the barn in 1833, and together with the other improvements of the farm, has been kept in good repair by him. No man in the township enjoys a higher reputation for upriglit- ness of character and sterling integrity than Mr. Turn. He has always avoided political prefer- ment, though a consistent supporter of Demo- cratic principles. He has been a member of the Presbyterian Church of Middle Smithfield since early manhood, and is at present an elder and liberal supporter of that church. He married Ency, daughter of Melchior Depue, and has nine children, namely-Henry, who resides in Wyoming County, Pa .; Sarah, wife of Edward Bush, of Marshall Creek ; M. Depue, residing in Middle Smithfield ; Samuel, William D., George B., Frank, Elizabeth and Charles R. Turn.

Melchior Depue came from Warren County, N. J., and located on the farm now owned by Joseph Overfield. He married Eliza Gon- saules, of the same township, and had children -Ency (Mrs. John Turn), Sarah (Mrs. Dim- mock Overfield), Samuel, Moses, Elizabeth, William, Henry and Philip. William Depue is a resident of Pike County. Two daughters, Mrs. Turn and Mrs. Overfield, reside in the township.

Robert Hanna settled on a farm near Seeley

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

Lake. His children were Isaac, Robert, Benja- min and several daughters. Robert married and had children, of whom Benjamin formerly resided in the township.

George Michaels, on his emigration from Germany, settled in Forks township, Northamp ton County, Pa., and later purchasing three farms in Middle Smithfield, located, with his three sous,-Peter, George and John,-on the spot now the house of George M. Michaels. John Michaels married a Miss Snable, of Northamp- tou County and had children,-George and John and eight daughters, of whom three re- side in the township,-George, Lydia (Mrs. John M. Overfield) and Kate (Mrs J. H. Eylenberger). The grandsons of Peter Mieh- aels, now residents of Middle Smithfield, are Peter and Andrew. A son of George Michaels, named John, now in his ninety fourth year, resides in the State of New Jersey.

Joseph Gonsaules, who was of Spanish. birth, first settled at Bushkill. One of his sons, Emanuel by name, married a Miss Utt, whose children are Samuel, Margaret (Mrs. Cort- right) and Emanuel. The last-named removed to the township and located on the farm now owned by his son, Emanuel H. He married Sarah, daughter of William Cortright, of the same township, his children being James, Samuel, Elizabeth, Anne, Margaret, Mary, Susan, Emanuel H., William and . Sarah. Three of these-William, Emanuel H. and Susan (Mrs. Martin Overfield)-are still in Middle Smithfield.

James Place, who was formerly a resident of Esopus, N. Y., settled on a farm now owned by Martin Cortright, where his death oeeurred. He was united in marriage to Phebe Winans, whose children were Jacob, William, Rebeeea, Rosanna, James, John, Mary, Eleanor, Isaae, Ann and George. Jacob, whose birth oeeurred in 1786, settled on the farm now owned by his son, Martin Place, having married Mary Over- field, whose children are Eliza, William, Sarah, Rebecca, Martin, James and Mary Ann. Mr. Place died at the early age of thirty-five years. John Place, brother of Jacob, married Martha Bunnell, and located on an adjacent farm, now owned by his son Benjamin. Martin, the son

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 180

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 1438

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438